Landing-deck light



July 9, 1946. M. PRlD E 2,403,510

LANDING- DECK LIGHT Filed March 1, 1952 2 Sheets- Sheet 1 -INVENTOR Pri e. BY

fiwaw ATTORNEY A. M. PRIDE LANDING July 9, 1946.

-DEGK LIGHT '2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March '1 1932 INVENTOR V I4 H/d'e.

7 Wall "1,111,411.

Y E N m m Patented July 9, 1946 2,403,610 fLANDlNG-DECK mom: I Alfred M. Pride, United States Navy Application March 1, 1932, Serial No. 596,090

' (01. 240-12) 7 (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as

4' Claims.

, This invention relates to means for defining the position and limits of the airplane landing-deck of a ship by'lights visible from 'a very limited zone only andhas for its object to provide a device to assist a pilot to land safely at night on a vessel under darkened ship conditions.

' .With the above and other objects 'in view,

the invention consistsin the construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be described more fully hereinafter.

In the drawings:

Fig. '1 is a schematic view showing the flight ideck'of a vessel'equipped with the present invention and van airplanein the position from which the lights are visible;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the device with one shield closed;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view on the line 33, Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view on the line 4-4, Fig. 2;

The device comprises a box or housing 5 having hingedly mounted light shields 6 with downwardly extending sides I. These shields may be retained in the closed position by means of latches 8 or opened to make the light visible over a zone of the extent desired. Within the housamended April 30, 1928; 370 O. G. 757) deck. The reflecting surfaces on members I5 maybe a suitable white paint or any other material adapted to the purpose whilethe inner surface of member 6 is rendered light absorptive to avoid reflection therefrom to the deck.

'Springs [1 are disposed on bolts I8 fixed to the bottom of box 5. Eyes I9 are attached to the members I5 and slide on bolts I8 above springs IT. The upper edges of members I5 bear against the lowerfaces of shields 6 and tend to raise the shields when the latches 8 are turned ofi the shields, the extent of upward movement being adju'stedby nuts 20 on bolts l8. Springs 2I connected to hinges 22 of the shields .under torsional strain assist in raising the shields, but do not exert sufilcient force to open them beyond thelimit set by nuts 20.

1 Boxes 5 are set in the flight deck 23 along'the sides thereof to define the landing area, the two shields of each making provision for directing light in either direction above the deck. Pipes 24 are provided to drain off any water that may pass through around the edges of shields 6. Connection between the lights I4 and the supply 25 is made through wires 25 and a distributing fixing are longitudinally extending partitions 9 having apertures I0 covered with glass II so set as to prevent the entry of water into the space inside the partitions. A cover I2 for the space within the partitions is secured to the partitions with water tight sealing strips I3 between the cover and the partitions, the latches 8 being mounted on cover I2.

Sources of illumination I4, either incandescent light globes or glow lamps, are disposed in the water tight space enclosed by partitions 9 and cover I2. Since the extent of cover I2 precludes seeing the light directly, the vertically movable members I5 at the sides of the enclosed space are prepared to reflect the light between the edge ture 26 to which each lamp is connected. As the shields are resiliently supported when open, passage of the wheel of an airplane over an open shield will merely move it into the closed position and will not damage or obstruct the wheel.

It is apparent from the foregoing description that the landing area on a vessel equipped with this invention is well defined when viewed fromthe proper position, which would be approximately known to the pilots of planes attached to the vessel, but would be invisible from above and from any other position than in the pyramid above defined. Fig. 1 illustrates an airplane 21 about to land upon a ship provided With such illuminating means. The extent of the zone of visibility of the lights is controlled by the degree of opening of the shields.

of cover I2 and the outer edge of shield 6. Side members I prevent any emission of light in a lateral direction, and therefore the light is confined to a pyramid having its apex definedby the sides I of the shields and the planes I6 drawn from the upper edge of member I5 over the adjacent edge of cover I2 and from the lower edge of member I5 over the outer edge of member 6. It will be observed that the lower limit of the pyramid of light from each opening lies above the deck and the distance thereof from the deck increases proportionately to the distance from the opening, and hence no light strikes the It will be understood that the above description and accompanying drawings comprehend only the general and preferred embodiment of my invention, and that various changes in construction, proportion and arrangement of parts may be made within the scope of the appended claims without sacrificing any of the advantages of my invention.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

illuminating devices in said compartment, a slid gjg ably mounted element disposed to contacteach of said members, each of said elementshaving-a reflecting surface facing said illuminating Ladevices to reflect light outwardly and upwardly 4 vices to reflect light outwardly and upwardly when the first mentioned member is swung outwardly, means to guide the movement of said elements, means to move said elements outward- 5 ly to exert a lifting force on said hingedly mounted members and move the reflected surface into; positionz-to projectylightsoutwardly and up- :wa'ftlly, ,andg'sadiustables means ,tol liriiit the outward movement of said elements.

t 3. An illuminated marker, comprising a housei ng,i.two.hingedly mounted members having inturn'edend portions disposed with their hinged ..-;sides.adjacent each other, resilient means tending to. move saidmembers outwardly, a source when the first mentioned member is swungout-"qy of'illumination;-means including transparent porwardly, guide members in said housin iadjacent said elements, a spring on each of said guide members, an eye slidableon eachof'said gulde members between the-espringthereon and the .tionsitorming an enclosure for said source, means to reflectlightthrough the opening in said hous- 1-, ingslftiibyithe outward movement of either of said members, resilient means to move said refree end thereof and connected to the adjacent 20 fiectingmeans outwardly to, exert .a lifting force slidtble lement whereby said s'lidable element is urged-upwardly'by' said-springs to exert a" lifting force on thefirstmentioned-member;=and adjustable" stop means on the free -'endsof -said-guide on said'fhirrgedlymountedmembers, and means to'f'limitthe outward movementiof' said 1 reflect- 'mgmeans'" by. saidresilient means.

-'4.""An' illuminated 'marker comprising' a housmembers to --limit "the"movement-*of the -eyes g5ring; outwardly 'swingablez members mounted on thereon.

2 -An illuminated"marker,-nomprising' ahousing,"hingedly-mounted-members adapted" to close substanti ally'one" side th'ereof ,"said-members'hav ing inturned end'portionsyresilient means"-*tend- "ing *to move "said members outwardly," means "having transparent side-walls arrd-forming a water-tight "compartment-in said-housing, "illu- -minating*devices in said ecompartment, a slidopposite'sfdes -or said" housing, a sourcefo'f. illumination in said housing, "means to "'Jdire'ct'. light 'from sai'd "source out throughmhe opening l'e'ft by" outward'nrovement of'ieitherswingable. mem- 30 her, said meansbeingmounte'd for'inward .and

outward movement, means to 'nrove'the aforesaid -meansto""exert on the 'respectively -adjacent swinga'blemembera"force* tozswin'g such mem- "her outwardlyran'd meanstoi limit the outward -ably"nrounted element disposed "to--contact'-each= -35 movement of said light. directingjmeans.

"of said 'members; each 'of said'elements havmg a reflecting surface facingisaidilluniinatingide- ALFREDE 

